Journal box



Nov. 9, 1948. H. R. REYNOLDS JOURNAL BOX Filed Dec. l, 1945 ATTQRNEY;

Patented Nov. 9, 1948 ENT i OFFICE JoURNALBoX if Harry R; Reynolds, New Britain, Conn., `assignor to The Fafnir Bearing Conn.,` a corporation Company, `New Britain,

Connecticut Application December 1, 1945, Serial No. 632,245"` l journal boxand, specifically, a'thrust bearing for i the shaft of a journal box, which is of relatively simple construction and which will prolong the operating life of the thrust bearing.

Other objects and various features of novelty and invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

7 Claims. (Cl. 308-41) In the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in central, vertical section through a journal box illustrating the invention; y

Fig. y2`is a fragmentary View, ona reduced scale, of thejournal box shown inFig. 1 and illustrating parts used in assembly; and Fig. 3 is an isometric detail View of a thrust bushing. l

The journal box illustrated includes a box 5,

in whlcha shaft or axle E is-journaled. `The shaft may carry a. bearing `'sleeve l, and the box may carry a bearing liner 8. Anti-friction bearing members, such as rollers 9, are interposed bethe inner ring and form a substantial abutm'ynt for transmitting `forces from the journal 6 `to` the inner ring I3. The plug I5` preferably has a closed end I8 having an aperture I 9 therein. The plug carries `a bushing, which in the form" Iillustratedincludes a sleeve portion 2 I, which slidably fits within the bore ofthe plug." The bushing is keyed tothe plug so thatthe plug and bushing rotate as one, but the bushing may slide longitudl. nallyin the'plug.

`in the form` shown, the sleeve 2| may be provided with a plurality of slots `22 andthe plug may carry a corresponding plurality ofkeys "23 whih may be in the form of screws threaded into the plug as indicated at 24. `The 'heads of the screws are preferably flush withthe outersur.- face of the plug and are inserted in the keying position b-eforethe inner ring I3 is pressed onto the plug. against loss. The bushing has an outwardly `directed `thrust flange 25 which h as a`r substantial thrust face for engagement with the end of Athe shaft, as appears clearlyin Fig. `1. The rear face of the flange 25 Ipreferably has about'thesame contour as theadjacent face of the plug flange I 'lso that when the" flanges l1 and 25 come `to gether, they havea substantially`solid"`bearing tween the sleeve and liner and rotatably support theshaft in the box. During normal `operation the `journal or shaft 6 moves longitudinally a-s thecar moves along the rails. My invention rei lates to certain improvements in the thrust bearing for taking and resisting the end thrusts of the journal 6;

The thrust bearing is mounted in a fixed part offthejournal box, which I term` the end cap I0, and which in this case isfastened to the journal box as 4by means of fastening members II, as is commonpractice. The` end cap I 0 is counterboredto provideaseatfor the outer bearing ring I2. An inner bearingring I3 andthe anti-,friction bearing members, such as balls I4 interposed between the two bearing rings,'form parts of a thrust bearing in which the inner ring I3is designedftorotate withthe journal l while the puter ring I2is xed in the end cap.`

In the form illustrated, the inner ring carries a-plug l5, which may comprise a" sleeve portion I6, pressedzor `otherwise fixed in the bore of the inner ring I43. 'I he plug preferably has anv outwardly directed iiange `I 'l to engage one edge `of on each otherfwh'ereby the thrusttransmittedto the thrust face of the ange 25 `will be solidly transmittedthrougli `the plug to theinner bearing ring I3.4 The bushing 20 is preferably made of bronze when the shaft and plug I5 are steel. Within the sleeve 2I,` and bottomed in the bore therein, is a1 "compression spring 26, which bears at `its other end against the closedend `lil of the plug. For a purpose to be described,the `bushing may have -athreaded bore H21 therein. l 1" During normal operation, the journal `6 `move axially but the thrust face of the flange 25.1wi1l bevconstantly in engagement with the end of the shaft, due tothe fact that the bushing carrying the flange 25 is slidable in the plug and the spring zfconstantly urges the thrustlfaceinto engage- `ment with the endof the shaft.. Therefore, as the journal "or shaft 6 rotates, the bushing -will `be rotated and throughthe keys 23 and plug l5 such rotation will be transmittedto the inner bearing ring I3. `Thus, the inner bearing ring will: be rotated by and With the shaft. When the journal moves during'normal operation toward the right from the position shown" in Fig.`1,`thelflanges 25 `and: I'l` will come into abutting engagement and the endthrustofthe` shaft will then be transmitted through those flanges directly to the 1nner `bearing ringf `With the inner bearingring Thus, the keys` are seCurelyheId Furthermore, with the construction shown, the

shock or" thrust is transmitted from the flange 25 to the flange l1 and there is no hammering action directly upon the inner bearing ring I3. Any hammering or peeping action which might be detrimental to the inner bearing ring is therefore taken by the flanges l125 and the bearing ring itself is spared such damagehammering, or peening. Since the bearing 'is'in constant rotation with the shaft, any thrust shock. will be transmitted over substantial areas ofthe bearing rings and anti-friction bearing members and there is unlikely to be any peening or spalling laction of the rings or anti-friction bearing memeIS.

Itwill be seen that when the end cap lll is removed from the journall box, the spring 2B will project the bushing IS-toward the left as far as permitted by the limiting slots and keys. Therefore, when the end cap is to be put in place, .the force ofthe substantial spring 26 will first have to bevrovercome before the end lcap could be put in place and secured lby the securing members Il. I have 'therefore provided means for retracting thethrust bushing so that it will not ordinarily engage the end of the journal and therefore the end cap with the thrust bearing may be readily putin place.

In the form shown, I employ a bolt 30 which passes through a plate or strut 3| resting on the `outside ofthe cover cap l `and which als-o passes through an aperture 32 in the cover cap. The end .of the` bolt may be threaded int-o the threaded bore 21 as is indicated at 33. Thus, when the spring islcompressed, the bolt may be put in place and the thrust bushing will be held in retracted position sol that the cover cap may be readily put in-place Vand secured .to the box. After the cover caphas been secured, the bolt 30 is unscrewed and removed. The thrust bushing then is move-d into engagement vwith 'the end of the shaft by the spring'ZB. The ,opening 32` may :be closed as by means of a pipe plug 34.

I `Duringnormal operation, it is desirable to permit the shaft or journal 6 to shift axially in the .journal boxes. A substantial clearance is shown between the back of the thrust member 20 and its abutment I1 to permit such axial shifting. Such clearance would normally be from, say, 1/s inch to %l inch. The clear-ance is determined in the form illustrated bythe extent to which the outer -ring I2fisshimmed out, as indicated at 35.

By means. of my limproved construction, it is a veryfsimplematter to determine the extent of end A`playin the shaft or journalk and the permissible vend. play can readily be determined and controlled by proper shimming, asat 35. It will be clear that when the thrust member 20 has its Ithrust face in engagement with the end, of the journal 6, as

:shown in Fig. l, the thrust member 20 can be moved axially away from the end of the shaft simply by pulling outwardly on the bolt 30 until the thrust. member 20 is in engagement with the :abutment Il. l The extent to which the bolt 30 is pulled outwardly vmay be readily measured and the clearance thus easily determined. VThe over- -all end play may be determinedby taking measurements, as above indicated, at .the opposite ends :ofy the rjournal an-d the end play c-an be limited to bearingrings with interposed anti-friction to engage the end of thel shaft.'

just vthe extent desired by proper shimming after it has been determined how much end play is desirable. Previous methods of determining the end play and the consequent extent of shimming required has involved a cumbersome method. My means of measuring end play and determining the required deg-ree of shimming is direct, accurate, `and requires no particular apparatusrnor any cut and try methods. 1 I

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and a 4preferred form illustrated, it is to be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. In a `iournal box having .a rotatable and axially movable shaft journaled therein, Ia thrust bearing for the shaft comprising inner land outer bearing rings with interposed anti-friction bearing members, means for mounting the outer of said 'bearing rings .against movement away :from the end of the shaft, a plug flxedly secured in the bore of the inner of said rings and having an outwardly facing flange engaging the-edge. of the inner bearing ring adjacent the end of the shaft, a bushing including a sleeve slidablymountedin said plug, means for limiting the sliding move-- ment of said sleeve in said plug, a spring interposed between said plug -and bushing for urging the latter toward the end :of the shaft, said bushing. having a thrust flange for cooperation at one side with the end of the shaft and for-cooperation at the other side with the outwardly facing flange on the plug. 1

2.y In a journal box having a rotatable and axially movable shaft journaled therein, an end cap forsaid journal box, a thrust bearing forsaid shaft carried by said en-d cap, said thrust bearing including inner and outer bearing ring-s with interposed vanti-*friction bearing members, said end cap having a counterbore for receiving and holding the outer .bearing ring, a plug `fixedlyycarried by said inner bearing ring, a bushingnon-rotatably carried by said plug, said bushing comprising a sleeve fitting said plug and havingan outwardly directed thrust flange facing the end V0f lthe shaft for cooperation therewith, land :a spring for urging said bushing'in a direction to Acause said flange-to maintain. contact with the end ofthe shaft, whereby said inner bearing ring is kept in rotation with and by said shaft. i

3. In a journal box` having a rotatable and axially movable shaft' 'journaled'thereim athrust bearing for said shaft, including inner and outer 4bearing members, means for mounting the outer bear- 'ing ring in a-x'dpart, aplug: carried by said inner bearing ring, a bushing slidably carried by said plug, keying means'for limiting the sliding rmovement of said bushing relatively to said plug and for constraining said bushing and plug to rotate together' with saidiinnerbearing ring, said bushing havinga` thrustflange for coactionwith the end of the shaft, and a spring for urging said bushing in a direction'to cause the flange thereof a rotatable fand ax'- a thrust i 4. In 'a vjournal box having ially movable shaft journaled therein,

'bearingfor said shaft including inner andV outer bearings rings with interposed anti-frictionbearing members,` means for nxedly mounting said outer bearing ring in a fixed part, a plug mounted within the bore of. saidinner bearing ring, abushing; including a sleeve slidably mounted' insaid plug., said sleeve having a slot therein, a-keycarried by said plug and coacting with said slot whereby said bushing is constrained to rotate with said plug and inner bearing ring and is free to slide longitudinally the distance determined by said slot and key, said bushing having a thrust face for engagement with the end of the shaft, and a spring for constantly urging said thrust face into engagement with the end of said shaft, whereby said bushing, plug, and inner bearing ring will be rotated by and with said shaft.

5. In a journal box having a rotatableand 1ongitudinally movable shaft journaled therein, an end cap for said journal box, a thrust bearing for said shaft carried by said end cap, said thrust bearing including inner and outer bearing rings with interposed anti-friction bearing membersja member having a thrust face for engagement` with the end of the shaft, means for causing said member having the thrust face to rotate with the inner bearing ring, a spring for urging said thrust face into engagement with the end of the shaft so as to maintain contact and cause said member and inner bearing ring to rotate with the shaft,

and means coacting with said member having the thrust face and with a part of said end cap for drawing said member having the thrust face in a direction away from the end of the shaft, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a journal box means having a rotatable and axially movable shaft journaled therein, a

thrust member carried by said box means and engageable with said shaft, an abutment for said thrust member to limit the movement of the latter by said shaft, resilient means between said thrust member and said abutment for resiliently urging said thrust member into engagement with said shaft, said thrust member having means for engagement by an actuator extending to the outside of said box means for moving said thrust member to determine the clearance distance between said thrust member and the ,shaft when said thrust member is in engagement with said abutment member, whereby the clearance distance may be determinedfrom the .outside of said box means by measuring the distance said actuator is moved when said thrust member is `moved between the shaft and abutment.

7. In a journal box means having a rotatable and axially movable shaft journaled therein, a thrust member carried by said box means and engageable with said shaft, abutment means for said thrust member to limit the movement of the latter by said shaft, means resiliently urging said thrust member away from said abutment means and toward said shaft, said abutment means having an aperture generally on the axis of said shaft, actuating means engageable with said abutment means and extending through said aperture and engageable with said thrust member for compressing said resilient means whereby the clearance distance between said thrust member and said abutment means may be determined jfrom outside `said abutmentmeans by measuring the movement of said actuating means, and further whereby said actuating means may be disengaged from said thrust member and said abutment means to permit `fully resilient action of said thrust member on said shaft.

HARRY REYNOLDS. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,269,238 Winfield s June 11, 1918 1,874,449 Clifford Aug. 30, 1932 1,971,946 Brittain Aug. 28, 1934 Searles Oct. 5, 1937 

